Most motorcycles are provided with a collapsible kick stand (i.e. arm) for supporting the motorcycle in an inclined upright position during stationary storage thereof. The kick arm is normally secured at its upper end to a connecting bracket which mounts to the underside of the motorcycle frame centrally between the wheels, with the kick arm being swingable outwardly and downwardly to permit the free end thereof to engage the ground or floor. When in this position, the motorcycle can be supported by the kick arm but is nevertheless disposed in an angled or inclined position relative to the vertical. This orientation of the motorcycle, the substantial size and mass of the motorcycle, and the rather minimal support provided by the kick arm, hence result in the motorcycle being subject to tipping over, particularly when an external force of minimal magnitude is applied thereto. Because of the instability of the motorcycle when it is supported by the kick arm, most motorcycle dealers do not permit prospective customers to sit on motorcycles displayed in the showroom for fear that the motorcycle will tip over. A similar problem exists when motorcycles are stored in garages and the like since the kick arm does not provide the desired degree of safety and stability.
With respect to racing bikes, they are not typically provided with a kick stand, but rather utilize a specialized stand which is positioned adjacent one side of the rear wheel and which, at its upper end, engages the wheel hub. Devices of this type have also proven to be somewhat unstable since they, like a kick stand, also support the motorcycle only from one side and typically do not permit the motorcycle to be maintained in a fully upright position.
Other structures used for supporting a motorcycle are provided principally to permit support of the motorcycle when it is being maintained or serviced. Such devices typically involve low tables which are positioned under the central frame of the motorcycle so as to permit it to be supported in a slightly raised position. Other devices involve lift mechanisms having a pair of wheels so that one wheel of the motorcycle can be positioned on a part of the lift device, with the lift device then being rotated about its wheels so as to permit one wheel of the motorcycle to be lifted upwardly a small extent. These lift devices, intended principally for use when performing maintenance or service on the motorcycle, do not always provide the desired stability and, more specifically, are generally bulky and space-consuming. Further, they require lifting of one of the motorcycle wheels and hence such devices are unsuitable for normal parking or storage of the motorcycle.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved support stand for a motorcycle, which support stand overcomes or at least minimizes many of the disadvantages associated with prior constructions, as briefly summarized above.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a stand for engaging a wheel of a motorcycle, preferably the rear wheel, to enable the motorcycle to be stably supported in a generally fully upright position while at the same time maintaining both wheels of the motorcycle engaged with the ground or the support stand. The support stand readily accommodates a wide range of different width motorcycle tires as associated with most full size motorcycles, and permits the operator to wheel the motorcycle directly into or out of the support stand to facilitate use thereof. At the same time the support stand is small and compact, can be positioned stably and securely on generally any flat surface, is light-weight and portable, and enables stable upright support of the motorcycle so as to permit a person to sit on the motorcycle while it is engaged with the stand.
In the motorcycle support stand of the present invention, there is provided a horizontally large base plate which stably engages a flat floor or surface, and this base plate mounts thereon a pair of sidewardly spaced uprights which define a gap or space therebetween for accommodating the tire of a motorcycle. The uprights have lower ends thereof fixedly securable to the base plate, with at least one and preferably both uprights being slidably adjustable toward and away from one another to vary the width of the tire-receiving gap. The upright has a leg part which projects upwardly and has a significant arcuate curvature which resembles the curvature of the rear tire so as to engage the side of the tire when the uprights are clamped together in close association with the tire. The uprights adjacent upper ends thereof are joined by a strap or other connecting device, preferably of adjustable length, to stabilize the uprights adjacent the upper ends thereof and to prevent the tire from moving rearwardly from the gap.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with constructions of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.